Heat-Shrink Sleeve Label Application Process

The heat-shrinkable sleeve label is made from a plastic membrane (film) that shrinks when exposed to heat. When it shrinks it adapts to the shape of your product, whatever it’s made of, plastic, glass, or metal, and whatever its shape, the sleeve label hugs it in perfect proportions.

There are many steps that precede the application of heat-shrink sleeve label:

• The label film (PVC, OPS, PET, or PLA) is treated to insure ink adherence to substrate
• A roll of labels is printed based on the design that was selected (logo, graphics, and colours)
• The ends of the labels are joined and fused together through the application of a solvent, creating the tubular shape of the sleeve label.

The heat-shrink sleeve label in its tubular form is then placed over the product. The final step is heat shrinking the film so that it takes the exact shape of the product. The application of the sleeve label can be done manually or automatically using specific equipment.